Window construction



Oct. 13, 1964 A. H. GOTTESLEBEN wINnow CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 28, 1962United States Patent Olilice 3,152,359 Patented Get. 13, 1964 3,152,369WINDW CQNSTRUCTIGN Alvin H. Gottesleben, Detroit, Mich., assigner toTwin Pane Corporation, Detreit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan FiledFeb. 2S, 1962, Ser. No. 176,228 3 Claims. (Cl. 2li-56.5)

This invention relates to a window construction and more particularly tothat type of window construction which requires no manual application ofputty to the window after the glass has been installed.

It is a further object to provide a window construction which isparticularly adapted to the use of a double pane combination whichprovides a thermal insulation.

There are a number of Window installations today which still utilize thewood frame which is adapted for standard glazing wherein a recessreceives a pane of glass which is puttied in place.

It is an object Of the present invention to provide a double pane glassassembly which can be moved in to a wood frame and which willautomatically lock and seal in said frame.

It is a further object to provide a thermal pane construction in whichthe entire unit can be handled as a single member.

It is a further object to provide as a part of a combination an extrudedframe section for the window unit which is designed for use with adouble pane unit.

Other objects and features of the invention relating to details ofconstruction and operation will be apparent in the following descriptionand claims.

Drawings accompany the disclosure and the various views thereof will bebriey described as follows:

FIGURE l, a sectional view of a window assembly constructed according tothe present invention.

FIGURE 2, an exploded view showing the double pane frame unit and thereceiving frame.

FIGURE 3, an enlarged view showing the manner in which the window unitis locked into the frame.

FIGURE 4, a perspective view of a corner of the window unit assembly.

Having reference to the drawings, in FIGURE l a primary or outer woodframe lt) has a top run l2 and a bottom run 14 with side runs 16. Thebottom and the side runs are each provided with a recess 2? whichconsists of an open-sided groove extending around the outside of theframe. As shown in FIGURE l, about 1A inside the edge of the Wood frameis a small groove 22 which extends the entire length of the bottom andside runs in the groove 20. This is primarily simply a marking groovefor the use of glazing materials but it can be used to cooperate with alocking member of the assembly to be described, The devices shown inFIGURES 2 and 3 eliminate this groove since it is not essential to theoperation of the device. The wood from which the window frames are madeis usually a relatively soft wood; and as will be described later, thelocking element for the assembly can gouge into this wood and becomefirmly locked.

The upper run does not have the groove 2@ but is provided With a narrowsurface slot 241 which has its inner surface spaced inwardly from theoutside of the window frame the same distance as the inner wall of thegroove 2t). The window assembly unit comprises a secondary frame, threesides of which are formed of a channel section shown best in FIGURE 3.

This channel section, preferably of extruded plastic, has a base 30 withtwo side walls 32 and 34. The side wall 34 continues below the basesection in a short wall 36. On the bottom of the base 3@ on the sameside as Wall 32 is a small channel section which has re-entrant groovesprovided by flanged portions 3S and lili.

The channel described can be used for the lower run and the two sideruns of the glass assembly insert. The upper plastic channel ispreferably formed (FIGURE l) with a base section 42 having side walls 44and 46 with the small double channel section 48 adapted to projectupwardly into the groove 24 of the upper run 12 of a window frame.

Small closed channels Si) of a light material, such as aluminum, areformed into a frame member which creates a spacer between two glasspanes 52 and 54 lying inside the walls 32 and 34 of the bottom and sidesections of a frame arid the walls 44 and d6 of the upper section. Thesection of the spacer is narrower at the outside edge 55 so that contactwith the glass is spaced inwardly from the edges. Thus, with properdimensioning, as shown in FIG- URE l, the glass panes are snuglyinserted between the walls of the secondary frame members, which arepreferably formed of a resilient plastic material, and the outer wallsof the spacer elements Sli.

The corners of the plastic secondary frame members can be readilysecured together and sealed by a plastic solvent or a heat seal,creating an insulating air pocket between the two panes 52 and 54.Inserted in the channel formed between members 38 and d@ is a lockingstrip which is composed of a base titl and a resilient locking ange orblade 62.

This material can be formed of a light metal material which is pushedinto the channel formed by the members 33 and 4G. When the two sides andthe bottom of the assembled window unit are fitted with these elements,the window unit within the secondary frame can be installed into theframe by tipping the upper double ange 4S into the groove 24 of the toprun 12 of the frame and pushing the remainder of the window unit intoplace in the groove 2li. This motion causes an inward flexing of theanges 62 and when the edges reach the groove 22, these anges snap intoplace in these grooves as shown in FIGURE l.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, it will be noted that thelocking blade 62 has a squared oft edge which creates a sharp corner 64.This sharp edge 64 readily moves into the frame 14 in the direction ofthe arrow shown in FIGURE 2 because of the angle of the blade 62 butagain, due to this angle, the edge digs into the wood so that it willnot move out of the frame but rather will simply gouge into the wood andlock itself securely in place.

In the installation of the assembled frame into the sash, it ispreferable that a suitable sealing material be extruded around theframe, for example, in the area A in the corner of the recess Ztl ofFIGURE 2 and in the area B in the corner between the wall 36 and thebase 30. Thus, as the frame is moved into the place, it seals both onthe inner surface and the outer surface.

The window assembly is, therefore, securely held in place; and it willbe noted that the slightly resilient plastic flanges 36 lie over theoutside of the window frames beyond the grooves 20 so that the entireunit is weather sealed in the frame. Thus no additional caulking orputty need be applied after the setting of the glass to provide a tightwindow assembly which, in addition to being weatherproof, is also athermal insulation protection for the area in which the window isfinally mounted.

The assembly of the glass into the frame is thus accomplished veryrapidly and the assembly is locked into place until such time as thepanes might be broken and it is necessary to replace them. The assemblyunits are such that the installation of the glass can be accomplishedeither in the shop or at the place in which the Window is beinginstalled. The glass assembly is a complete Y 3 unit in itself which canbe readily transported independently of the frame.

I claim:

1. A window combination assembly comprising an outer frame of relativelysoft material such as wood having an opening therein with walls lying atsubstantially right angles to the plane of the frame, said frame havingupper, lower, and side runs, the upper run having a groove spaced froman external surface of said run, a glass assembly unit associated withsaid frame comprising a secondary frame of semi-resilient plasticmaterial having upper, lower, and side runs, each of Said runs of saidsecondary frame having spaced inwardly extending lianges to receive andenclose the periphery of a double pane assembly, a single outwardlyextending ange on said lower and side runs of said secondary frameoverlying a portion of an external surface of the outer frame directlyadjacent the opening therein, the upper run of said secondary framehaving an outwardly extending flange positioned in the groove of theupper run of said outer frame, a substantially V-shaped locking strip onthe outer periphery of the lower and side runs of said secondary framehaving one locking leg of the V extending outwardly at an angle to thesecondary frame and in a direction toward the external surface of theframes, means for slidably fastening the other leg of said locking striprlat against said outer periphery of said secondary frame, the free edgeof said outwardly extending locking leg being engaged with the walls ofthe opening in said outer frame to lock the two frames in rigidassembly.

2. A window assembly for use with an outer frame of relatively Vsoitmaterial such as wood, said outer frame being provided with a recess foraccommodating said assembly, said recess having respective wallsgenerally perpendicular and parallel to the plane of said outer frame,said assembly comprising a pair of spaced glass panes mounted in asecondary frame of semi-resilient plastic material having upper, lower,and side runs, 'one of said runs having an integral internal angeextending inwardly of said secondary frame and abutting an exposedsurface of one of said panes, said one run having integral externalflanges extending inwardly and outwardly from said run, said inwardlyextending external ange abutting an exposed surface of the other of saidpanes, said outwardly extending external ange overlying an externalsurface of said outer frame when said secondary frame is accommodatedtherein,vmeans integral with said one run forming a re-entrant groovethereon, a substantially V- shaped locking strip slidably received insaid re-entrant groove, said locking strip having one leg directlyadjacent said one run and the other leg extending outwardly at an angleto said secondary frame in a direction toward said external surface ofsaid frames, the free edge of said other leg being adapted to engagesaid perpendicular wall of said outer frame when said assembly isaccommodated therein to lock said assembly in said outer frame with saidinternal flange of said one run abutting said parallel wall of saidouter frame.

3. In combination an outer frame of relatively soft material such asWood, said outer frame being provided with a recess accommodating awindow assembly, said recess having respective walls generallyperpendicular and parallel to the plane of said outer frame, saidassembly comprising a pair of spaced glass panes mounted in a secondaryframe of semi-resilient plastic material having upper, lower, and sideruns, one of said runs having an integral, internal ange extendinginwardly of said secondary frame and abutting an exposed surface of oneof said panes and said parallel wall, Said one run having integralexternal iianges extending inwardly and outwardly from said one run,said inwardly extending external iiange abutting an exposed surface ofthe other of said panes, said outwardly extending external angeoverlying an external surface of said outer frame, said one run having are-entrant groove formed thereon by a pair of iianges extendingoutwardly from said one run, each of said last mentioned anges beingsubstantially continuous along said one run in a direction between saidside runs, a substantially continuous locking strip slidably received insaid re-entrant groove, said locking strip being substantially V-shapedwith one leg directly adjacent said one run and the other leg extendingAoutwardly at an angle to said secondary frame in a direction towardsaid external surface of said frames, the free edge of said other legbeing engaged with said perpendicular wall of said outer frame to locksaid assembly in said outer frame.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS723,433 Arend Mar. 24, 1903 1,570,351 Hultin Jan. 19, 1926 2,145,930Herron Feb. 7, 1939 2,257,123 Peremi et al. Sept. 30, 1941 2,354,341Verhagen July 25, 1944 2,383,155 Peirson Aug, 21, 1945 2,840,203 HehrJune 24, 1958 2,910,740 Greenman Nov. 3, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 821,562Great Britain Oct. 7, 1959

2. A WINDOW ASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH AN OUTER FRAME OF RELATIVELY SOFTMATERIAL SUCH AS WOOD, SAID OUTER FRAME BEING PROVIDED WITH A RECESS FORACCOMMODATING SAID ASSEMBLY, SAID RECESS HAVING RESPECTIVE WALLSGENERALLY PERPENDICULAR AND PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF SAID OUTER FRAME,SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED GLASS PANES MOUNTED IN ASECONDARY FRAME OF SEMI-RESILIENT PLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING UPPER, LOWER,AND SIDE RUNS, ONE OF SAID RUNS HAVING AN INTEGRAL INTERNAL FLANGEEXTENDING INWARDLY OF SAID SECONDARY FRAME AND ABUTTING AN EXPOSEDSURFACE OF ONE OF SAID PANES, SAID ONE RUN HAVING INTEGRAL EXTERNALFLANGES EXTENDING INWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FROM SAID RUN, SAID INWARDLYEXTENDING EXTERNAL FLANGE ABUTTING AN EXPOSED SURFACE OF THE OTHER OFSAID PANES, SAID OUTWARDLY EXTENDING EXTERNAL FLANGE OVERLYING ANEXTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID OUTER FRAME WHEN SAID SECONDARY FRAME ISACCOMMODATED THEREIN, MEANS INTEGRAL WITH SAID ONE RUN FORMING ARE-ENTRANT GROOVE THEREON, A SUBSTANTIALLY VSHAPED LOCKING STRIPSLIDABLY RECEIVED IN SAID RE-ENTRANT GROOVE, SAID LOCKING STRIP HAVINGONE LEG DIRECTLY ADJACENT SAID ONE RUN AND THE OTHER LEG EXTENDINGOUTWARDLY AT AN ANGLE TO SAID SECONDARY FRAME IN A DIRECTION TOWARD SAIDEXTERNAL SURFACE OF SAID FRAMES, THE FREE EDGE OF SAID OTHER LEG BEINGADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID PERPENDICULAR WALL OF SAID OUTER FRAME WHEN SAIDASSEMBLY IS ACCOMMODATED THEREIN TO LOCK SAID ASSEMBLY IN SAID OUTERFRAME WITH SAID INTERNAL FLANGE OF SAID ONE RUN ABUTTING SAID PARALLELWALL OF SAID OUTER FRAME.